Grassley: Report shows federal farm payment loopholes

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report showing additional changes are needed to Farm Bill payment eligibility requirements and limitation provisions for those “actively involved” in farming.

The report reviewed the Farm Service Agency’s compliance reviews of farming operation members’ claimed contributions of active personal management and personal labor. The GAO report also examines the Farm Service Agency’s state offices’ timeliness in completing and reporting compliance reviews and the results.

Grassley said that the conferees to the Farm Bill should take notice of the report.
“This is just one more reason that my payment limits provisions included in the Senate and House bills -- placing a hard cap on farm payments and closing loopholes that allow non-farmers to game the system -- should stay untouched,” Grassley said.